A Tail of Two Travelers
by VerinVerdandi
Summary: Feudal Era AU: Elsa meets the most unusual of companions.


**AN:** Herpetkiba gave me the wonderful idea of** "japanese feudal era AU. Anna as an Oni or Kitsune, Elsa as a Ronin or sellsword." ** And I totally ran with it. So with some help from Krahae (because pffff like I know anything about this era or that lore) came up with this tiny story. Enjoy!

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Kneeled under a large shady tree, sipping from a water skin, was a lone woman dressed in a simple dark blue kimono. A hand reached up to wipe away the sweat that gathered on her pale forehead and push long blonde bangs away from the skin. A casual flick and the loose braid was pulled over her shoulder to cool off the back of her neck. Taking another sip the woman relaxed against the trunk, listening to the sounds of the forest.

A pained yip echoed through the trees.

Ice blue eyes search the tree line, ears straining to catch the direction of the sound. This time a whimper, too quiet and nearly lost under the bird songs.

Katana in hand, the woman stood wiping bits of grass and dirt from the fabric. Walking forward into the woods the blonde swung her head back and forth, peering into the underbrush. A frantic rustling to the right had her pushing through a leafy bush into a small clearing.

There in the open space was a small red fox kit, wriggling and tugging frantically at the snare wrapped around both hind legs.

Making a quiet shushing noise, the blonde crouched and slowly moved towards the panicking creature.

"You're okay, easy…easy now…" reaching into her belt she pulled out a slim knife and used it to slice the tight rope of the snare. Flick of her wrist and the blade slid easily into its sheathe. Gently she grasped the kit's back legs, untying the rope slowly as it had dug into the skin and muscle. Wincing at the whine the kit made as the blood rushed back into its limbs, the woman carefully picked it up, cradling it against her chest.

Walking back to the tree, she hummed and scratched behind the one white ear to soothe the shaking kit. Easing back to the ground she rummaged into her rucksack with one hand to pull out linen bandages. With as much care as she could muster, the blonde laid the tiny kit onto her lap and began wrapping the wounds.

Taking note of the fidgets and whimpers coming from the kit, the woman began speaking softly to it.

"Shh little one, I merely wish to help. The wounds are not deep, but they need care," the kit stilled, looking up into the womans face.

Bright teal eyes peered into ice blue, captivated.

"Such an unusual color for a tiny thing," the blonde ruffled the fur on its neck. "Seeing how I'll have to keep an eye on these bandages you'll have to stay with me, at least for a short while, perhaps a name for you hmm?"

The kit wiggled under the fingers, twisting to lick at them. The blonde laughed at its antics.

"Now let's see, male?" Tiny teeth nipped at pale fingers and she could've sworn there was annoyance in that unusual gaze. "Okay then, female it is. What about Aki?"

A quiet yip and a slight wag of the bushy tail was her response. Smoothing down the fluffy red fur, the woman pulled out a sliver of dried meat and held out tiny bits of it for Aki. The kit devoured the meat easily, licking the pale hand for more.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you Aki," the woman smiled and held out more pieces. "I'm Elsa."

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The time passed quickly on the empty road.

Aki was perched around Elsa's neck, as the blonde quickly tired of carrying the kit in her arms. This didn't seem to bother Aki as she seemed to enjoy nuzzling against Elsa's cheek and make quiet little whuffling noises in her ear.

Bits of dried fruit and meat would disappear between sharp teeth to fill the endless belly that Elsa found Aki to have. Who would have thought such a tiny thing could eat so much?

And so they walked on, Elsa filling the silence at times. Telling her little companion how she had been a daughter of a lower noble family, but she had decided to follow 'The Way of the Warrior' and become a samurai despite being a woman.

Her Master was a formidable yet kind man, but recently he had been slain at the hands of his closest allies. Leaving Elsa to wander the countryside as a Ronin, taking odd jobs and helping those in need where she could. When the blonde would tell tales of her past, Aki would perk her head up, mismatched ears swiveled intently on the quiet words of old joys.

Elsa wondered to herself if it was actual intelligence she saw in those bright teals eyes always trained on her or if it was her longing for companionship that she imagined something that wasn't there.

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The next week saw Elsa helping a village with festival preparations, fending off bandits from a passing caravan and saving a child's cat from a tree.

Aki hadn't been thrilled when the feline took a liking to Elsa.

Whenever the blonde Ronin took off to do the more dangerous errands, she would try to leave the still wounded Aki with some local children. At first she told them that her little friend liked to hang around over necks and shoulders, but Aki would refuse. Wiggling and yipping till she was merely curled up tightly in a ball on a child's lap, seemingly pouting at Elsa for leaving.

And when Elsa returned for Aki, the kit would practically bounce in place until she was placed in her customary spot around Elsa's neck. The blonde couldn't help the wide smile as her cheek and ear would be licked thoroughly by Aki until she was content to rest quietly.

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One afternoon found the pair sitting at the bank of a small river sharing a small meal of cooked fish and cheese. Elsa had taken the bandages off from Aki's back legs and was looking over the now healed cuts.

"Looks like they healed nicely Aki," the kit wiggled and stretched out its legs. "Perhaps now you can walk on your own instead of using me as your personal carrier, hmm?" Elsa teased the kit, scratching behind the white ear.

Aki huffed and bounded to her paws, leaping onto Elsa's lap to lick at the underside of her chin. Laughing at the kit's antics Elsa didn't notice the small band of bandits coming up from behind.

"Look what we have here boys, a little woman all alone with her pet," the leading man leered at Elsa his katana held at his side. "How about you play with us sweetie?"

Elsa placed Aki by the rucksack and stood to face the men, taking note of the five men dressed in scraps of leather armor. Placing her hand on the hilt of her blade, Elsa stood tall before them, her face a neutral mask.

"Leave now and you will still have your lives to call your own."

The men laughed and stepped closer, forming a loose semi-circle around Elsa and Aki. The kit leaned against Elsa's leg barking at the bandits. The leader of the group smirked at the pair.

"Think I'll be having myself a new pair of gloves from your useless pet lady," he pointed his blade at Elsa. "Now how about we get down to business and you get on your knees."

Eyes narrowing at the filth being spouted from his mouth Elsa unsheathed her blade and prepared herself. The man sneered and with a yell, he and two other bandits charged towards, leaving the other two to circle around waiting for an opportunity.

Elsa met the three men head on with little trouble, parrying their blades and knocking them aside easily. It was with more difficulty keeping tabs on the other two. Aki used their distraction to come up behind them and bite at the calves, teeth digging deeply into the tendons and muscle. Pained cries from their comrades had the other two bandits lose focus on Elsa and she used the pommel of her sword and its sheathe to knock them to the ground hard.

From one bandit a small white ball fell from his vest, rolling along the ground till it stilled. Almost too quickly for Elsa's eyes to catch, a blur of red swept through the bandits and snatched up the white ball.

Time slowed and Elsa watched as Aki, the white ball held tightly in a grinning mouth and eyes glowing brightly, was consumed in a flash of white and gold.

Covering her eyes from the blinding light, Elsa heard the sounds of bodies hitting the ground with a painful thud and crunch. After a moment of silence she lowered her arm, blinking back the spots of light that danced in her vision.

The bandits had been piled together, all unconscious and wisps of smoke rising from their clothes.

Upon the top of the pile, bouncing on a bandits back, was a young woman in a white kimono. Splashes of green and gold dotted the white fabric, a green sash tied around her waist trailed down behind her next to a fluffy red tail.

Elsa blinked.

A tail?

Suddenly she found herself with an armful of warm flesh, red hair and a pair of mismatched ears.

One red and one white.

"Aki?"

The woman pulled back after a moment, teal eyes peering up at her.

"Anna actually, but really 'little red'? Couldn't you have come up with something more creative?" Anna pouted, ears drooping slightly. Slim arms wrapped around Elsa's neck and she felt Anna nuzzle and lick the underside of her jaw.

"But you, you were-" Elsa sputtered and blushed, trying to find a place to put her hands. "At least I didn't call you 'Spot' or fluffy," giving up she rested her hands upon Anna's side wondering at the heat that radiated from her. "So Anna, you're a…"

"A kitsune!" Anna chirped and leaned back slightly, a small fanged grin on her tanned face. "I got stuck in my fox form when I, um, misplaced and lost my orb to those bandits," she flicked her long tail and Elsa watched it in curiosity. "That does remind me…"

Elsa's eyes fluttered closed at the feel of soft lips pressing lightly against hers, the scent of cinnamon invading her senses. A hand gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss until Elsa had to pull back. Taking in deep breaths the blonde opened her eyes to see Anna nervously smiling at her, a light blush across the bridge of her nose.

"Thank you for taking care of me," the kitsune leaned back into Elsa, resting her cheek against her shoulder. A quiet purr emanating from her chest.

"Perhaps I can return the favor?"

Elsa yelped at the feeling of Anna's tail sliding up her leg.

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(possibility of this being a series of one-shots, because I want to expand on the idea of bits of their daily lives and kitsune pranks galore.)


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